Forums >Racing>Cooper River Bridge Run
Is anybody traveling to Charleston to run Cooper River? It's such a huge 10K (43,000 people this year) I thought there is a good chance someone on here might be...It's my favorite race of the year, even in my non-running years I have always run/walked it.
If you are and it's your first time to Charleston or running the race, I'll be happy to answer any questions for you
It's an elite event so it's cool to see the Kenyans line up
Pink Bunny
yeah this year will be my 2nd year running it, I hope to beat my last years time of 42:20 with something around 41:30.
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -James 1:2-4
Nice Pink Bunny!
You will finish way before me I am looking for a 52-ish. Guess you know all about beating the crowd and lining up front since you've been there before. I have never seen anything like it! Ladies with strollers trying to line up in front of the corrals!
I'm making the trip from Columbia. First time actually running this.
Goal is to place higher than my bid # (148)
Really, I'm just coming down for the Sunday Brunch at High Cotton
Cooper River is such a disappointment to me. It has the potential to be a great race but it is just a letdown. It is so crowded with absolutely no crowd/corral control. If you aren't in the first 100 people you are going to be walking before you even reach the bridge. I will not be back.
heffa47, sorry you didn't enjoy yourself.
It IS more of an event then a chance to get a PR. I have actually crossed the finish line 30 minutes AFTER the start time due to the crowds, LOL.
It's all part of the fun. I like the weaving, it makes the first 2 miles fly by and before you know it you're on the bridge!
Then again, I'm running between 8-9 minute miles so I'm not trying to break any records or win anything, just having a good time on a beautiful course.
Good lucky Andy!! Brunch @ High Cotton sounds like a good reward
I'll probably be @ Red's Icehouse for a long while next Saturday. It's always "a drink or 2" that somehow turns into an all day event!
It IS more of an event then a chance to get a PR. I have actually crossed the finish line 30 minutes AFTER the start time due to the crowds, LOL. It's all part of the fun. I like the weaving, it makes the first 2 miles fly by and before you know it you're on the bridge! Then again, I'm running between 8-9 minute miles so I'm not trying to break any records or win anything, just having a good time on a beautiful course. Good lucky Andy!! Brunch @ High Cotton sounds like a good reward
Thanks!
Is it just congested or a mad house further back? Wasn't last year the first year with the corral's?
The wife's in the first corral red corral (51 - 60) and I just want to prep her for what to expect. We were thinking about the back of the corral to let everyone else 'go' out and cut down on the people around her.
I wouldn't go so far as saying I didn't enjoy myself. My main goal of the race was to run over the bridge (the old bridge) and it was really cool. I just think it could have been much better.
amcneice - To me the issue has very little to do with the corrals and much more to do with the mile before the bridge where anybody that wants to can just join in and bandit walk the bridge in front of the runners. There is not much you can do within your corral to change that. Not sure what the answer is, it would be near impossible to police that length of the course to keep people off.
Oh yeah the old bridge was cool I like the new one too, only one hill!!
amcneice, they have had corrals for a while now. It's just that nobody really abides by them, so it's hard to tell, LOL. Last year was the first year that they used a wave start. I couldn't tell a difference though.
It is crowded and congested from the front to the back. Unless you are seeded and in that very first corral (sounds like you are) it will be a mess from the start through the bridge. There really isn't a good way to cut down on the people around you. They will literally be jumping off the sidewalk to get into the race. I wouldn't do races like this on a regular basis, the crowd is insane, but it's just such a cool event and the views are so nice...and there is so much to do afterwards that I wouldn't miss it.
It looks like this for at least a mile back!!
And doesn't even really clear out on the bridge!!!
old woman w/hobby
Crowd wise that looks / sounds awful!
Another bridge run in our area is the Savannah River Bridge Run in Savannah, Ga.
It's held in early December and is very well run. Not as crowded as the Cooper River appears to be.
There is a 10k, 5k and Double Pump. Also I believe that Savannah has the higher / longer bridge.
There was a problem with the walkers/stroller pushers at last years 5k. However,they plan on taking
care of that next year.
steph
Oh yeah that looks nice Tea Olive. The Savannah bridge is pretty, I've driven over it plenty of times.
I just like CRBR because its fun to be in the 3rd largest 10K in the nation, without having to enter a lottery to get a race number. I wonder if they will have to go to that soon though, like Peachtree. We are only a few thousand behind!!
I ran the bridge this morning and it felt GREAT! Doubt if it is gonna be this cool on race day though. Good luck to everyone running this weekend
Kalsarikännit
Maybe if this guy ran a little faster he'd be less photogenic.
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
It's so funny that is all over the news! Silly how things like that go viral. I've been seeing it non-stop, not just in the papers here but on twitter and runners world too. He still beat my time by 5 minutes, LOL. I didn't look quite that good I was a sweaty mess!